John Klenig

This textbook looks at the main ethical questions that confront the criminal justice system — legislature, law enforcement, courts, and corrections—and those who work within that system, especially police officers, prosecutors, defense lawyers, judges, juries, and prison officers. John Kleinig sets the issues in the context of a liberal democratic society and its ethical and legislative underpinnings, and illustrates them with a wide and international range of real-life case studies. Topics covered include discretion, capital punishment, terrorism, restorative justice, and re-entry. Kleinig's discussion is both philosophically acute and grounded in institutional realities, and will enable students to engage productively with the ethical questions which they encounter both now and in the future—whether as criminal justice professionals or as reflective citizens. The book is ideal for applied philosophy and criminal justice ethics courses. John Kleinig is a professor of criminal justice and philosophy at John Jay College and the Graduate Center.